ISSN : 0376-4672
Purpose: Despite previous research showing that there is an excess of dentists in Korea, there are demands to increase the number of dentists, with some local governments requesting the establishment of dental colleges and dental hospitals. Therefore, this study aims to propose long-term policy directions regarding the supply and demand of dentists in Korea by analyzing the distribution of dentists relative to the population and the current status of dentists by region. Methods: This study used public data. WHO's key indicator, active dentists per 100,000 population, was calculated by year, and differences in active dentists by region were analyzed using ANOVA. Results: From 2012 to 2022, the average annual rate of the number of active dentists per 100,000 people was 2.39%, which was higher than the average annual population growth rate(0.10%)(Table 1). The regional averages were ‘gu’ 66.52±55.78, ‘si’ 38.50±10.87, and ‘gun’ 29.91±7.35, showing a significant difference (p<0.0001), confirming the existence of a gap. Conclusions: The supply and demand of health care professionals is the most important factor for the stable operation of the health care system. To resolve regional differences, it is desirable to utilize existing dentists rather than creating new dentists.
The identification of the facial nerve trunk(FNT) is an important step in surgical procedures involving the parotid gland and adjacent structures to minimize the risk of inadvertent nerve damage which leads to facial muscle paralysis. Despite the availability of various anatomic landmarks such as the tragal pointer, posterior belly of digastric muscle, tympanomas toid suture, digastric branch of facial nerve and styloid process, no single landmark is perfect, with variations observed between individuals. Therefore, a comprehensive knowledge of facial nerve anatomy is essential for FNT identification. In this review, we tried to introduce clinically meaningful methods for the localization of facial nerve trunk. The preference of landmark could be changed by the major of the surgeon or the location of the tumor of the patients. Understanding the characteristics and drawbacks of the landmarks and choosing multiple landmarks that were convenient for surgeon would be necessary.
Modern dentistry began as a descendant of barber-surgeons. In 1728, Fauchard of France published Dentist (Le chirurgien den tiste au traité des dents), who defined the scope and nature of modern dentistry. In 1926, Gies of the United States proposed the standardization of the dental curriculum and set goals for dentist education. However, although the framework of the dental cur riculum proposed by Gies was excellent, that was ahead of his time, nearly 100 years have already passed. Therefore, we would like to predict the changes in oral care in about 30 years from now in 2024, and look for clues to the direction of change in dental education in Korea accordingly. Due to changes in technology, it is expected that teaching methods using virtual and augmented reality will be universally imple mented in dental education. Artificial intelligence is expected to be widely applied in dental care system. The relationship between oral health and systemic health will become clearer, and the importance of preventive dentistry will be further emphasized. The use of digital dentistry and 3D printing is expected to increase, and related education is needed. The dental education system should go beyond the scope of barber dentists and consider further on periodontics and systemic health. As interest in overall health and quality of life will increase, cooperation not only between dentists but also among other professionals such as medical doctors and para-medical/dental specialists will become common and the composition of the Korean population is expected to become diverse. The importance of leadership, communication, and cultural sensitivity in clinical care should be emphasized and educated. Ethics and professionalism must be prioritized in dental care, and students must be educated to become dentists. I think it may be more efficient to focus on improving educational competences and educational content rather than revolutionary change in the curriculum. However, the current society is changing rapidly, and dental medicine at the time when students currently attending dental school become active dentists, will be different from what it is now, and dental education in Korea should be provided to prepare for this.
Ameloblastic fibro-odontoma (AFO) is a rare benign mixed odontogenic tumor predominantly occurring in children. This tumor is often asymptomatic and associated with disturbances in tooth eruption. We present the case of a 7-year-old boy who exhibited delayed eruption of his left mandibular first molar, attributable to AFO with a congenitally missing mandibular second molar. Ra diographs revealed a well-defined, ovoid, radiolucent lesion containing sparse calcified materials in the left posterior mandible. To the best of our knowledge, few reports have documented AFO in conjunction with the congenital absence of a permanent tooth. This case is discussed along with a review of relevant literature.
